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Day in Pop Report for 12/21/2012


Kesha Addresses Die Young Controversy
Kesha has clarified her recent Twitter postings over the controversy about her song "Die Young" in light of the mass shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, CT.

Radio stations began pulling the song out of rotation after the shootings and the pop star went on Twitter to respond and in one tweet she said "I did NOT want to sing those lyrics and I was FORCED TO ".

Now she has posted an update on her website to clarify her earlier comments. She writes, "After such a tragic event I was feeling a lot of emotion and sadness when I said I was forced to sing some of the lyrics to Die Young."

"Forced is not the right word. I did have some concerns about the phrase 'die young' in the chorus when we were writing the lyrics especially because so many of my fans are young and that's one reason why I wrote so many versions of this song.

"But the point of the song is the importance of living every day to the fullest and staying young at heart, and these are things I truly believe."

Billboard points out that Kesha is actually credited as co-songwriter on the song with Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Benny Blanco, Cirkut and fun.'s Nate Ruess.

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Justin Bieber Vs Hamster Group
(popmusiclife) Justin Bieber has come under fire from an obscure special interest group after he gave his pet hamster to a fan.

The California Hamster Association complained to an online gossip site about the pop star's actions, which they equated to "animal cruelty," according to Pop Crush.

The cruelty claims comes from the group's assertion that "an environmental change" could prove fatal to hamsters.

The rep reportedly said, "The moment that hamster was handed off to a screaming girl in a harsh, frenzied environment was likely the moment it gazed at the short path to its doom."

They reportedly insist that the Bieber should have instead given the pet to a shelter or rescue facility.

So did the hamster meet his doom over the transfer? Find out the creature's fate here.

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Michael Buble Puts The Hum In Bah Humbug This Christmas
Michael Buble had the second highest selling album of 2011 with Christmas and it seems he's ready to recreate that holiday magic one more time.

The Canadian crooner gave Jimmy Fallon a preview of his next Christmas album called There's No Place Like Hum For The Holidays: Michael Buble Hums The Songs Of The Season.

Yes, the album is full of classics like "Jingle Bells," "Frosty The Snowman" and "Let It Snow," all hummed by Michael.

In the late night commercial, Michael dons a festive red blazer over a black turtleneck to belt out hits like "Silent Night."

There's even a duet with Dave Matthews that certainly can't be missed. Watch it here.

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Josh Turner Scores Most Popular Country Song of 2012
Though it never reached Number One, Josh Turner's song "Time Is Love" turned out to the most popular country song of 2012, according to Billboard.

First released in January, the song appears on Turner's latest album Punching Bag. "Time Is Love" reached Number Two on the Country Songs Chart. The fact that it wound up as the most-played single despite never topping that chart is unusual, too�the only other song to earn that distinction was Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy," the most popular country song of 2010.

"Time Is Love" is one of the few tracks on Punching Bag that Josh didn't have a hand in writing. As he explained to CBS Local, though, he instantly knew the song would be a hit.

"[It's] just a great song first of all and I knew it from the first time I heard it," he said. "It's one of those songs that just really sticks in your head."

Josh said initially it was the message behind the song that struck him.

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Rapper Fat Joe Facing Two Years In Prison For Tax Evasion
Rapper Fat Joe is facing up to two years in prison after pleading guilty to federal tax evasion.

The 42-year-old rapper, real name Joseph Cartagena, pleaded guilty to failing to pay taxes for over a $1 million of income for the years 2007 and 2008.

The plea was made in a Federal court on Thursday. He will be sentenced in April and is currently free on bail.

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The Voice's Sandy Hook Tribute Was Their Toughest Performances Ever
(Extra) "Extra's" Terri Seymour caught up with the coaches of "The Voice" this week after the show's season finale that included a touching tribute to the victims of Sandy Hook. The group told Terri that it was one of their toughest performances ever.

Blake telling Terri, "I turned around when we were done and people then started crying when they thought about what just happened when they look at that name and they see that age. " Christina had a similar sentiment, "I have a 5 year old son. He's gonna be 5 in January, I can't even fathom." Adam, saying "It's hard to even talk about it but we do what we can."

The high point of the evening was crowning the season winner, Cassadee Pope, who seemed awestruck when she heard her name. Cassadee telling Terri, "I feel like this is not real life. This is crazy! " Her win was the second in a row for coach Blake Shelton who said, " We got to experience a superstar in the making."

Christina had kind words for the winner, "She connected with America and she really grew throughout the process."

Christina and Cee Lo take a break from the show next season and Usher and Shakira take their places. On her hiatus from the show, Christina, who celebrated her 32nd birthday last night, said she had nothing but love for her fellow coaches, " I'm gonna miss these guys but you know they'll be my buddies for life."

Blake's advice, "The best piece of advice I can give Shakira and Usher at this point is don't be competitive. We'll love you if you're not competitive." extratv.com

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B.o.B Giving Away Free Download of His Strange Clouds: The Game
B.o.B is offering fans a free download of his "Strange Clouds: The Game" is this holiday season at the iTunes App store.

B.o.B's Strange Clouds: The Game takes users on a journey with B.o.B as he travels through space, learning the secrets of a new alien race. Players earn fuel for their "rocket ship" while slicing shapes out of strange clouds.

The faster and more accurate the shapes are carved, the more fuel is earned, allowing B.o.B fans everywhere to join the Grammy Award-nominated artist as he ascends into a higher � and stranger � space.

Highlighted by three original music tracks � specially created by some of B.o.B's top collaborators � B.o.B's Strange Clouds: The Game offers players the chance to collect coins along the way to buy power-ups or to personalized items they can use to customize their "rocket ship."

As a result, each flight on B.o.B's Strange Clouds: The Game will offer a one-of-a-kind gaming experience, with every mission randomly generated for maximum excitement and repeat game play. more on this story

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Bruno Mars Remains On Top of Singles Chart and Makes UK History
Bruno Mars' "Locked Out Of Heaven" has topped the Billboard's "Hot 100" for the second consecutive week.

The single comes from Mars' just-released sophomore album, "Unorthodox Jukebox," which has made its SoundScan/Billboard 200 debut at No. 2 with sales in excess of 192,000 � marking the his highest first week sales debut.

"Unorthodox Jukebox" has topped British album charts, making history as the United Kingdom's fastest selling solo album of 2012.

The album's success follows the equivalent popularity of Mars' 2010 debut, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," which proved the U.K.'s third best-selling album of 2011 and also entered the charts at No. 1.

"Locked Out Of Heaven" is currently sitting at No. 1 on the European Airplay Chart � making it the most played song on the European continent. more on this story

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Crazy Aunt B Invades Another Lady Antebellum Webisode
Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum introduced the world to his crazy Lady Aunt B a couple weeks back. And now, apparently, there's no stopping her.

Aunt B is back in another nutty webisode, this time with a couple of special guests, including Laura Bell Bundy (who plays talk show host and Cooter County star Euneeda Biscuit) and Dierks Bentley.

Without giving away too much, let's just say that in this episode, Aunt B makes a new friend in Ms. Biscuit, and the two of them go on a tear around town, winding up at Dierks' house. There is booze involved (of course); and insults and cursing; and some truly unique ways to serve deviled eggs. Watch it here.

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Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz and Mac Miller Plan Tour
Lil Wayne has announced his upcoming European tour. In 2013, he'll be taking 2 Chainz and Mac Miller along with him.

Weezy is currently working on his forthcoming CD, I Am Not A Human Being 2, but has run into some tax troubles that caused him to pay a reported $8 million dollars in back taxes. None of that will interfere with his 15-date European tour.

2 Chainz recently received a GRAMMY nod in the important Best Rap Album category for his Based on a T.R.U. Story debut. Mac Miller, the Pittsburgh based rapper who has a growing and loyal fan base, was consistently on the road since his break-out Blue Slide Park hit the charts in 2011.

Check out what 2 Chainz had to say about the beef between Lil Wayne and Pusha T and see the tour dates here.

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She & Him Release New Animated Christmas Video
Last year Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, performing as She & Him, released A Very She & Him Christmas. The duo's album is packed full of holiday songs like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Sleigh Ride," and "Silver Bells."

To keep the Christmas spirit alive, the pair have just released an animated video for "Baby, It's Cold Outside." It's not Zooey's first experience with the song � you might remember her shower scene in 2003′s Elf, with WIll Ferrell, where she also sang the Christmas favorite.

In the video, the pair are stuck in a snowbound cabin and Ward is wishing to escape the seductive and aggressive Deschanel. His attempts to flee fail and Ward eventually returns with a mistletoe. Watch it here.

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Josh Groban Goes Behind The Scenes With Brave Video
From the looks of Josh Groban's new video, it wasn't just all work and no play when it came to recording his upcoming album, All That Echoes.

The video for his latest single, "Brave," takes us into the studio to see how the song came to be.

Josh's latest is a slight departure for the classical star, which steers him in a more pop direction. But the song still uses a bevy of strings to highlights the singer's operatic voice as he spells out the uplifting message of "Brave."

The new clip also shows off the many looks of Josh from a bowler hat to a blue flannel shirt to a cowl neck cardigan, proving holing up in the studio is no reason to slack off style-wise. Watch it here.

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Richard Marx Recounts Working With Kenny Loggins On Christmas Duet
Growing up, Kenny Loggins was the most influential singer in Richard Marx's life.

Marx told San Diego radio station KyXy that when he was 19, he met Loggins for the first time and the two became instant friends. Though over the years they had written a number of songs together�Marx even produced a track on Loggins' 2003 album, It's About Time�the singers had never recorded a proper duet. That is, until now.

On Christmas Spirit, Marx's first holiday album, the guys join forces for the song, "Let There Be Peace on Earth." The 1955 song, which focuses on unconditional love, allowed the guys to meld their sweet voices together.

In the studio, Marx said, it was hard for him not to stare in awe at his friend. "Do I have food on my face?" Loggins asked after one especially long gaze. Read his response here.

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Chris Leigh Releasing New Album in February
Chris Leigh has set a February 12 release date for his new CD, Broken Hearted Friends.

The new CD, produced by Jim "Moose" Brown and recorded at his Moose Lodge Studios in Nashville, showcases Chris Leigh's mix of honky-tonk country, rockabilly and roots-driven music backed by a host of Music City A-list pickers, including Brown on guitar/keyboards/bass/backing vocals, Troy Lancaster on guitar, Kevin "Swine" Grantt on bass, Scotty Sanders on pedal steel/dobro, Tommy Harden on drums and Curtis Wright on backing vocals.

"Moose" Brown is also a Grammy-winning songwriter ("It's Five O'Clock Somewhere") and multiple ACM keyboard award nominee. The album was mixed by 10 Time Grammy-winner Benny Faccone.

"I was very lucky to have worked with such an amazing group of Nashville cats on this album," exclaims Chris Leigh. "Each of these guys brought their own unique style and talent to my music, which really helped to shape the songs into what we hear. Most of the tunes were done in one take, which is pretty amazing when you consider they had never heard these songs before. The energy in the room was amazing!"

Broken Hearted Friends contains 10 all-original songs penned by Chris Leigh that feature his soulful vocals performed in a style influenced by blue-collar, hard-core country. It's a sound that's filled with rockin' honky-tonk anthems and powerful ballads that tug at the heartstrings. The title track is destined to become a live sing-along favorite, as Chris and his rowdy friends blast out the chorus, "Here I am again, with my broken hearted friends," in the tale of a poor soul whose girl's "got something against football," among other negative attributes. Chris Leigh is a bona fide barroom poet and prophet who clearly wears his broken heart on his sleeve in many of these songs. more on this story

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A Night with Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven Theatric Event Announced
Fathom Events and Relativity Media have another a special theatric event of "A Night with Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven: Filmmakers, Author and Stars Bring the Book to Life" on Thursday, January 17 at 8:00 PM ET/ 7:00 PM CT/ 7:00 PM MT/ 8:00 PM PT in select cinemas nationwide.

The live one-night theatrical event will feature a discussion and Q&A moderated by Maria Menounos, with No. 1 "New York Times" best-selling author Nicholas Sparks.

Also present will be the cast of the film adaptation of Sparks' best-selling novel Safe Haven, including Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough. Attendees will be the first to catch a sneak peek at exclusive clips, behind-the-scenes footage and intimate interviews from the crew behind Relativity Media's eagerly-awaited film, directed by Oscar�-nominated Lasse Hallstr�m.

Tickets for "A Night with Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven" are available now at participating theater box offices and online here.

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X-Japan's Yoshiki Releasing Golden Globe Awards Theme Song
Yoshiki is celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Golden Globe Awards by releasing the theme song on iTunes.

Written for the awards ceremony by the classically trained multi-instrumentalist and leader of one of Japan's most successful rock groups, X-Japan, the theme will be available for download as a full-length digital single in 111 countries starting January 15, 2013.

"It's such an honor to be a part of this esteemed event which is enjoyed by hundreds of millions around the world," said Yoshiki. "Composing this music was a journey that involved creating numerous versions in order to arrive at just the right sound to capture the unique combination of glamour and edginess that makes the Golden Globe Awards so entertaining. I'm very proud of the result and am thrilled that Warner Music has chosen to make it available around the world."

Yoshiki recorded the theme, which opens the show and is used at other key moments during the broadcast, in his native Japan. He played many of the instruments himself before adding a full string orchestra.

"To have world-renowned musician Yoshiki compose the theme song for the Golden Globes is an honor for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and we are delighted that the single is now being released worldwide," said HFPA President Dr. Aida Takla-O'Reilly. "Our international organization recognizes the most accomplished entertainers in film, television and music, and Yoshiki certainly fits right in among our honorees." more on this story

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Anna Graceman To Sing Nation Anthem at Bears and Cardinals Game
(SL) Anna Graceman will sing the national anthem this Sunday in front of a capacity crowd of over 63,000 football fans at University of Phoenix Stadium when the Arizona Cardinals take on the Chicago Bears. Kick off is at 2:45 pm Mountain Standard Time.

The 13 year old singer and songwriter is no stranger to performing our national anthem in front of huge crowds - earlier this year she did the honors at a Seattle Mariners game in front of more than 50,000 people. But Sunday will be by far the largest live audience Anna has ever performed in front of.

That said, the Juneau, Alaska native performed for a television audience of millions when she made it all the way to the Top Ten in the 2011 season of America's Got Talent. And with more than 50 Million total views on Youtube, Miss Graceman has an audience well beyond the football fans who will be treated to her "Star Spangled Banner" performance on Sunday.

Anna is busy prepping for the upcoming America's Got Talent Allstars Tour which kicks off in February and will hit more than 40 cities across the country. She's also slated to perform at the in January at the annual National Association of Music Merchants show, a trade show where the latest in musical instruments and other performance equipment are shown off in Anaheim, California.

On Christmas eve Anna will perform "The Christmas Song" on the Hallmark Channel's Home and Family morning show which airs from 8am - 10am nationally. She blew everyone away on the set last week with her rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The production staff was so enthralled by her performance that they asked her back for their Christmas show! more on this story

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Yo Gabba Gabba! Free Song And Named Best Children's Artist of the Year
Yo Gabba Gabba! are giving fans a free download of the latest single From Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is Awesome!: Volume 4, "Pancakes and Syrup" by Biz Markie.

The free download comes as they celebrate being named Best Children's Artist of the Year by AMAZON, as voted by the online retailers' editors and online staff. Grab the download here

Yo Gabba Gabba! has proudly been named Best Children's Artist of the Year by AMAZON, as voted by the online retailers' editors and online staff. The honor comes on the heels of the recently released, fan-favorite fourth installation of the Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome! acclaimed music series, YO GABBA GABBA! MUSIC IS� AWESOME!: VOLUME 4.

YO GABBA GABBA! MUSIC IS� AWESOME!: VOLUME 4, available now, features hit songs from the beloved television series where DJ Lance Rock, Muno, Plex, Foofa, Toodee and Brobee join their talented friends, releasing all new tracks for Yo Gabba Gabba! fans to jam along to. Tracks include catchy hits by Cut Copy, Rocket from The Crypt, George Clinton, Belle and Sebastian and many more. more on this story

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TRON: Uprising Soundtrack Set For Release
(Disney) The soundtrack for TRON: Uprising, the Disney XD animated television series inspired by the films TRON (1982) and TRON: Legacy (2010) will be released on January 8, 2013.

The TRON: Uprising soundtrack features the original score from the series composed by Joseph Trapanese and will be available in digital format and also via Amazon's Disc on Demand.

In addition to the 16 tracks provided by Trapanese, TRON: Uprising soundtrack also includes remixes from 3OH!3 and J.T., Opiuo, David Hiller, and a brand new track from Hollywood Records' rising EDM star, 16-year-old Cole Plante, entitled "Rezolution."

Trapanese worked in tandem with Daft Punk on the score for TRON: Legacy. Drawing on his background in classical orchestration as well as film scoring, Trapanese functioned as both arranger and orchestrator, arranging the duo's music to picture and conveying their ideas to the orchestra. It was Daft Punk who recommended Trapanese as the composer for TRON: Uprising.

Bridging the gap between 1982's "TRON" and 2010's "TRON: Legacy," composer Joseph Trapanese follows in the footsteps of Wendy Carlos' and Daft Punk's groundbreaking scores with his work on TRON: Uprising. As arranger and orchestrator, his collaboration with Daft Punk on TRON: Legacy resulted in a top 10 album in the US, along with a gold certification for 500,000 units sold. more on this story

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. Rock Reads: Life Itself: A Memoir
Roger Ebert is a man who relishes the art of film. His reviews are like no other and hes largely viewed as the pre-eminent writer of film criticism of the not just the last century but this one as well. Despite losing his voice, hes anything but silent. (5 stars) - Read the full Life Itself: A Memoir review



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